Poetry is what gets lost in translation-Robert Frost

August 17, 2014

Boyhood

Richard Linlater's Boyhood (2014) is an astonishing piece of film-making. Linklater created a film that gives the viewer the perspective of the life of a boy from age six to 18. Of course this fictional world includes family (the mother-Patricia Arquette, sister-Lorelai Linklater [the director's daughter], absent father-Ethan Hawke), friends, teachers, co-workers, etc. It has many of the hall marks of a Linklater film: strong soundtrack (Wilco, Yo La Tengo, The Flaming Lips, Vampire Weekend, Arcade Fire, etc.), non judgemental portrayals of youths drinking, smoking pot with no punishment or consequences, a classic muscle car (GTO not unlike that seen in Dazed and Confused), Ethan Hawke (he has appeared in 8 Linklater films), and an ambiguous ending (which is similar to all of the films in the "Sunrise" trilogy). Some things about the film that struck me were: 1) this child's boyhood occurs in the generation of screens, unlike my own, so obsessions with video games wasn't as a strong of influence on my generation 2) every life experience is different and this one differ as much in experiences as location-Texas that is remote from my own in Spokane, Washington 3) I felt somewhat old as there is a scene when the boy is preadolescence listening to his father talk about Wilco's "Hate It Here" from their 2007 album, Sky Blue Sky, and thinking it seemed just like yesterday when that album came out. There are several excellent set pieces throughout the film that set the tone for the life that unfolds over the three hours, which seems much shorter. Linklater makes several Ozu-like ellipses in the story in which he chooses to skip events like the formal divorce procedures and the graduation from high schoo, and pick up after these milestones instead. Some of the best ones occur between father and son, for example, at the end of the film when marlon has learned that his high school girlfriend has left him for a Lacrosse-playing college student, and his father gives him excellent advice saying that he need only be true to himself and not let the setback affect him and he will be always be alright. It may not add up to a tightly-scripted film with an obvious overall theme at the end, however, it feels satisfying nonetheless. It has many transcendent moments of lyrical beauty throughout. It is a hallmark in modern cinema.